Azzam al-Ahmed, the Fatah official in charge of the reconciliation file with Hamas, has called the Islamic Movement to refrain from negative remarks by its speakers and leaders towards his movement. According to him he was referring to the statements made by leaders of Hamas during the last hours, and during the celebrations of the 23nd anniversary of Hamas a few days ago.

The Fatah official said he had received a telephone call from Vice-Chairman of Hamas Political Bureau Dr. Moussa Abu Marzouk, who conveyed the unwillingness of Hamas to hold a meeting according to a previous promise, pointing out that Abu Marzouk, spoke about the file of the detainees in the West.

Abu Marzouk announced the suspension of the reconciliation meetings with the Fatah movement against the background of its detainees in the prisons of the West Bank. "There will be no reconciliation meeting with Fatah as long as it is ignoring the demands of the detainees who went on a hunger strike in Palestinian Authority prisons," the senior Hamas official was quoted as saying. Fatah and Hamas were planning to hold a reconciliation meeting towards the end of the month.

Hamas has demanded that the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will work for the immediate release of all political detainees in the West Bank prisons. Hamas has also called for the essation of all forms of security coordination with Israel

On his part, al Ahmad stressed that Hamas wants to pick a topic to create a crisis. He said: "When I finished the last meeting between Fatah and Hamas in Damascus on the 10th of ovember, it was agreed to continue bilateral contacts to determine a new date to resume discussions regarding the issue of security...Unfortunately, I see the comments of Hamas regarding previous issues, and this raises questions and doubts within us why these statements at this time."

He added: "It was agreed between us to hold another meeting in Damascus during the last week of this month, but, as appears from their statements they have gone back on it."